I'm shocked you haven't had wear issues with your Altras. The road racers I have wear the soles out in half the time of any other shoe and the lone peaks lugs have worn pretty quickly as well. I haven't had the issue but there's also countless people with blow outs on the toe box sides.
Yeah I don't know what to say. I've seen the reports of people with wear issues but my Lone Peak 6s are still going strong. I use them for hiking, trail running, and general workouts. Maybe different batches had different quality standards and I randomly got a pair from a good batch. But also the Topos weren't comfortable for me. They had that tongue bite whereas the Altras are just comfortable from the beginning.
@@ozoutdoors I bought my son the Topo pursuits based on not liking the durability of the Altras or the concept and politics of Hoka. All that said it makes it hard to get shoes that work for each different foot shape since stores don't really exist anymore that carry most of these brands. And laying down half a grand plus to try them on at home isn't doable for everyone. Good talk and God bless!
Thanks for the review. I am looking for a pretty serious lightweight tent for some light weight on the move hunting trips. How is the condensation buildup on these vs the Lanshan 1p for example? Or other single walled non free standing tents. I've always been a free standing kind of guy and giving this style some serious thought. Ultimately, what is your opinion on the durability differences between the 2? I know you went over it, but do you see the new one being more resilient over let's say a rock? Or do you think it would puncture vs the nylon possibility stretching a bit before tearing?
As far as single walled tents go, this is the best one I've found for condensation management, because of the vents at the peaks and the ability to pitch it up a little higher to allow air flow through from bottom to top. I've woken up to damp walls but I've yet to have condensation drip onto my face during the night, which has definitely happened with other single walled tents. I've tried the Gossamer Gear 1, and it has floods of condensation. The Altaplex has also been worse for me in that regard than the Durston. I haven't tried the Lanshan 1p. The other consideration with Lanshan is that they are significantly heavier than the equivalent Durston tents. I think DCF isn't as susceptible to puncture as it is to just wearing out from abrasion. With a knife or something sharp like thorns sure it would puncture, but so would nylon. With rocks I don't think you'd see a difference in "puncturability".
@ozoutdoors I appreciate the quick follow up. I am torn between this tent and a couple free standing models. Condensation is a serious concern of mine. I am looking into some pmpretty serious back country trips and I am trying to finalize this .. tough decisions!!! Forgot my other question, so I may shout back at you. Thanks again!
@@TestrunRX7 Are the freestanding models you're looking at also dual wall? Dual wall is probably the best way to handle condensation because the inner wall (normally mesh) creates a barrier that stops the warm air you're breathing out from condensing on the outer wall. And if some does condense, it doesn't drip onto you because the inner wall catches it. Obviously the trade-off is weight because you've got an extra layer of material inside the tent.
I'm on a blood thinner too. My big question is: Is it safe to go backpacking alone? Do you go out alone and, if so, how do you think about the risks of a cut or big bruise?
I do go backpacking alone. I feel like if I were to do something life-threatening like cut an artery then that would also be life-threatening even if I weren't on blood thinners, and would require use of the same techniques like tying a tourniquet, so I haven't taken on board extra worries about the most extreme cases like that. I've just focused on the smaller cases of cuts and bruises. For cuts I take blood clotting gauze and powder with me. For bruises I just try to be more careful, but also have found that bruising (at least for me) isn't as much of an issue as I had been warned. When I first started out on blood thinners I bruised at the slightest knock, along with daily nose-bleeds, but now over a year in I don't bruise any worse than I did before blood thinners, and the nose-bleeds have stopped. I do take an SOS device with me such as a Zoleo or Garmin InReach.
@@ozoutdoors Thank you for your great reply. For my most recent trip I bought QuickClot bandages. I'll get the powder too and study up on first aid and how to use them. I guess I'm lucky-no nose bleeds or bruises. And I did buy an inReach a few years ago, before I was put on a blood thinner, since I usually backpack alone. I'm 65 and actually want to step up my backpacking to do some trips with resupplies (longer trips, like a month) and in other states (I'm in California). You inspire me to go for it.
Thank you! I would have liked to include more tents but I'm not popular enough to get sent free gear to review and not rich enough to buy it all 😅. So I compared the ones I had which I actually use (except the Plex Solo which I borrowed from a friend)
Man I wish 😄. Hiking and YouTubing are just hobbies. I have a full-time career so I can't make videos often enough for the algorithm. I do it as and when I can. Maybe one day I'll get popular 😅
how noisy is the dcf floor when moving about the tent space ? does the crinkling noise become a nuisance or a distraction when you're trying to relax or sleep ?
Hey sorry I didn't see your question sooner :( Hope the answer isn't too late. Once I've got my sleep system set up I don't find the noise of the DCF is a problem at all. I have a closed-cell foam sit pad which I put down first, then my air mattress on top. The foam pad underneath really helps prevent the air mattress from moving, which is good for both noise reduction and if pitched on a slight incline.
I don't want to be cruel but you've gone and got some great information but delivered it in such a way that anesthesiologists will be worried for their jobs
Thanks! My son is also 6'3" and he's happy with the pro1. It's not super spacious for him, so if you want margin for being able to slide up and down a bit if you're pitched on an incline, then go with the pro2 and lie on the diagonal. But he's willing to have his toes close at one end and his head close at the other end in order to have the smaller footprint of the pro1. We hike a lot where there aren't designated camp sites so a smaller footprint is very handy when you're trying to find a flat spot on a hill.
Altra, Topo, and Hoka that I mention in the video all have models with different drops, and all do a 30 day return even if you've worn the shoes. So I would suggest buying a few pairs with different drops, going for a hike in all of them, and then returning the ones that don't work. You could even do them one-at-a-time rather than ordering several pairs at once.
First wild pitch I put two holes in my pro2+, very windy, first caught sharp end of peg near door, tear, second I was tensioning the pole and it slipped with wind... the z-flick poles...nipple bit down... straight through mesh and then out of top of the tent! I've done a repair on both with durston dcf patches, after intial clear dcf repairs. Can't see the pole hole at all now, door one is slightly noticeable dur to its location on a big panel, but impressed how well it repaired in the field and more so that it held up in strong winds and heavy heavy rain through that night.
Oh man that's crazy! And on your first trip! Glad to hear it's so repairable though. I haven't had any further rips or tears since that first night out and the DCF tape I happened to have with me has stayed well stuck on.
hello, I would like to know if the dcf floor is better than the silnylon one. despite the slight price difference between the two versions, which one would be more solid. thank you very much in advance.
Hi there, the silnylon will be more resistant to puncture and abrasion. It will absorb water a little bit which will add to the weight of the tent after a wet night, and will be harder to dry out. The DCF is lighter, does not absorb any water and dries very quickly. It is not quite as robust as sinlnylon but I'm careful with my gear and I've never had a puncture nor tear in the floor.
Yeah good points, those are the downsides of DCF. I had an Altaplex with a DCF floor for several years and it didn't puncture so I think with care the DCF version of the X-Mid Pro 1 will be durable enough for me.
@@ozoutdoors Similarly, I have an Altaplex tarp that I use with the Z-packs bathtub floor and am just careful with it. The upside is how patchable it is if I do get a hole. I'm hoping that in the future the Aluula fabric will be made in a light enough version for tents, I am told it is almost there for flys and may already be there for floors. It will solve the problem of on-the-bias stretch and non-recovery of the mylar in DCF that makes DCF tents all puckered and flappy over time.
Yes, I'm really hoping to see Aluula tents soon. Durston has a pack made of it, but not yet a tent. My Altaplex got super stretched very quickly. People mock me for not being able to pitch it well, but the fact is that it's impossible now. We'll see how the X-Mid Pro 1 holds up over time. The 2023 version showed much less sign of stretching than the Altaplex and I think the way it pitches should hold up better over time.
@scottcampbell3644, You did a scientific study on the importance to people of being able to manage zippers with one hand? I think you're talking out of you a$$.
One-handed operation is something Durston Gear specifically highlights in their product description as a selling point. I'm just pointing out that not everything can be done with one hand, and that they could still make improvements in that regard. It's just a matter of convenience though, and if it doesn't bother you then that's great.
Hey Mike, thanks! I'm 6 foot (1.83m). The X-mid suits me absolutely perfectly. My son who bought my old one is 6 foot 3 inches (1.91m). Because the end walls slope up really steeply it even suits him as well.
Hey great video, cheers. Like you I got the first gen pro 1 with the nylon floor, definitely an improvement with DCF.. but ultimately I couldn't get past the lack of internal floor width and switched to a zpacks duplex lite. Hope you are continuing to recover and maybe doing some hikes again!? 🤞 Greg
Yeah as you know I had the Altaplex before so the Durston actually gave me more usable floor space and I've been fine with it. My recovery has hit some speedbumps, but I did the Buffalo River Trail recently and I'll have a video on that soon.
Yeah a few people have commented that. It hasn't been my experience with the Altras. I've got a few hundred miles on my Lone Peak 6s and they are still going strong.
I started at the Fairview campground and headed west. I had intended to start at Chancel but there was a seasonal creek that was up so high I couldn't cross it.
I agree, they are expensive. I've also used Asics for many years for sports and workouts. For hiking I find a wide toe box indispensable and afaik Asics don't have any model with that.
Great video, man! This was a big eye-opener. Sometimes, when you think everything is fine and you're super healthy, you can be taken off guard. It's amazing to see how you have taken this in stride and have put so much thought into how you're going to be able to continue hiking. Nice job putting this together. I just stumbled across your channel while searching for interesting hikes. I do lots of hiking and posting on RU-vid myself. I looked through your channel and liked the videos you were putting out before your health event. I just followed your channel! It looks like I'm your 495th subscriber! Woohoo!!! I look forward to staying connected and seeing your journey as you get back to hiking.
Thanks so much, and welcome! Yup, #495. It's been a few months of slow pace releasing videos (slow pace in general during recovery) but I'm back up and around now. Headed out to kike the Buffalo River Trail this weekend as my celebration. There will be a video coming on that.
I've just learned I've had the third of a series of TIA's, less critical than your experience but still a worry. Thanks for making this video - it was very helpful to think through some of these things.
Glad the video was helpful in some way. I think keeping goals in front of you and not backing away from positive things you enjoy (such as hiking) just because you're worried about health is important as well.
I have worn altras until last spring when I got some topo pursuits. That was a great move. The altras fit and feel great but I cant even get 100 miles out of them before getting holes on the sides near my toes. My topos have a couple hundred on them and have no holes yet. They have the zero drop I love and as much toe space as my roomiest altras, which would be the timp 1.5.
Glad you found a shoe you love! I have tons of miles on both my Lone Peak 5s and 6s with no issues. I'm not even hiking in the 7s yet because the 6s are still going strong. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe they had some batches with quality issues and sold them anyway. I liked a lot of things about the Topos but couldn't get past the "bite" on top of my foot where the tongue was fastened to the upper.
I just do what I want been on pradxa for over 8 years still in afib sleep when I can and do what I must but it a big change cause some time I feel like crap but changing my diet and giving up sugar has been the biggest been a fit to me I have always fasted regularly but I have to be careful now cause I can make myself sick if I don't eat enough. The cold yes I feel that more now too. Got to be careful of those temp changes and rest when I'm tired no more pushing to the end of the string or I'll pay for it.
Kudos to you for going through all that and planning to keep hiking. I am happy to report that there is hiking after heart surgery - I'm 6 years after valve repair and bypass surgery, and I'm flying out to the US to start a thru-hike attempt of the AT in about 3 weeks. I didn't go for the mechanical valve so no warfarin for me, for which I'm grateful. Some small complications which I'm dealing with but I've done several long hiking trips and the fitness is ok.
Hey that's terrific! All the best on your AT journey. I went for the mechanical valve because they say lifespan of a tissue valve is 10-15 years which would mean 2-3 more valve replacements for me. I just didn't want to undergo that many heart surgeries with the growing risk as I get older, so I decided to live with the warfarin. Whether that was the right decision remains to be seen :)
I previously ate a lot of dehydrated and freeze dried vegetables produced by a company called Harmony House Foods. Gotta say the green cabbage was superb, surprisingly tasty and rehydrated very quickly. Whatever the situation I do think these vegetables are an important part of a hiker diet when you may be 5 months on trail. I like your positivity 👏👏
Wholy crap mate that's crazy! Very lucky you had some switched on Dr's! On a separate note I ended up selling my Durston X-mid Pro 1 and bought the new zpacks Duplex Lite. the Durston felt too small and narrow, (I'm 80kg 188cm) and the zpacks is a bit lighter @420g and MUCH roomier. Less features but worth the trade off for me. I did a review if you're looking for something to watch while recovering! Hope you solve the trail eating problem, I'd probably opt for buying a freeze dryer, sounds like you will get enough use out of it and it's probably the healthiest option. Keen to see follow up videos of what you went with anyway. Good luck! 🤞👍 Greg
Yeah I'm glad they caught it for sure! I sold my original X Mid Pro 1 (to my son) and bought the newer one with the DCF floor. That brought the weight down to 440g. I'm curious about the Zpacks Offset Solo which seems like they copied some of Durston's ideas, but it's heavier and over $100 more. I might get one just to review and send it back.
Very sensible selling the version 1 and getting the dcf floor. I Must say the pole in front of the duplex door has never really bothered me, so I don't think I would see the benefit of the offset design, mostly I just love the extra space for the lighter weight.
